Page 66 of A Wife's Duty

“Good morning,” he said.

He looked terrible.

“Didn’t you sleep well?”

“Fuck, no. I never sleep well unless I’m in my own bed.”

“You could go home,” Lucia suggested.

Boone had the house locked up so tight, it was impossible for anyone to penetrate it without him knowing.

“Not yet. I’ll wait until Boone tells me to.”

“How is Amy?”

“She’s good. She sends her love and would one day love to meet you,” Frank said.

This startled her for a second. “Really?”

“Yeah, why?”

Lucia shook her head and then offered him a smile. “I’m just not used to people wanting to meet me. It’s kind of strange.”

Frank chuckled. “That’s the kind of shit Valdez will do to you, huh?”

She didn’t say anything but blew across her coffee, then looked out where Betty was sniffing. She had already used the garden as a toilet. She had gone far enough away that there was no stink.

Boone returned, wearing a pair of pants and a dress shirt. He looked ready for a day at the office. Glancing toward Frank, who looked like crap, and her husband who appeared so put-together, she felt bad.

“Boone, don’t you think Frank should go and be with Amy for a bit?” Lucia asked.

“Huh?” Boone asked.

“Well, you’ve already said you’ll be staying with me, so it makes sense for Frank to go home and spend some time with the wife and kids before he returns.”

Frank glared at her and she smiled.

“Yeah, you could have gone home last night,” Boone said.

“Don’t you think we should talk about ... you know ... the threat?”

Lucia looked from Boone to Frank. She could only imagine this had to do with her father and Bonaldi.

“There is no threat, and right now it is all taken care of. You can go and be with your family. I want you back in three days,” Boone said.

Three days. Was that all the time she had with Boone, and then he was going to finally take care of business? She felt her stomach twist and knot up. Three days, and once Bonaldi and her father were gone for good, what did that mean for the two of them?

She hated the questions that fired through her brain, making it hard for her to focus or do anything.

Frank finished his coffee. “See you guys in three days.”

He left, and Lucia suddenly wished she had kept her mouth shut. This was not what she wanted. Crap. Three days was all she had left with her husband?

Betty came over and sat down at her feet.

“I think someone wants feeding,” Boone said.

She offered a smile.

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